I recently undertook some genealogical research and found a curiosity in the death of one of my four Great Great Uncles who lost their lives during the Great War. On the Earl Soham War Memorial Website the entry of Ephraim James Hall, includes a transcript of a local contemporary paper detailing his death in a manner similar to that of Sergeant Godsoe in The Madonna of the Trenches. It is interesting to note that there is no suggestion of suicide (which was still a crime) by his commanding officer. I am curious if this was a singular occurrence that Kipling read of and used it or whether it was a more common event that was frequently hushed up to preserve the honour of the soldier and his family.
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